Happy Holidays
by suspensegirl
Summary: TWO-SHOT. S3's CB share Christmas & New Year's with a mysterious secret to be unfolded lurking in the shadows. SPOILER-FREE
1. Burns Like Ice

A/N: Christmas one-shot. Watch out, it's a bit angsty.

* * *

He wasn't a Scrooge. He was warm. He was welcoming. He didn't treat her like she was dust under his feet, and he let her in. She was every bit the angel in his eyes, but it was only a matter of time before the façade would fall. She was so sure he was holding something back from her. After the progress they had made on the anniversary of his father's death, she had hoped they were past this. The fact that they might not be only meant that something more burdensome, more overwhelming, had happened to him after he had left the hospital.

He had said he was going to put flowers on his father's grave, finally, and she had been happy for him. She told him she was going to spend the night, and from the expression evident in his eyes, she knew it soothed him that she had decided to remain so near. Regardless of the breakthrough, he needed her nearby to get him through to the next day.

He didn't come home that night, and wasn't back in the suite until noon the next day. She thought he had come and gone without her knowledge, but with how shaken up he had been the night before, she hardly thought he would've left without at least acknowledging his presence. She had just gotten _her_ Chuck back and then he just…_disappeared_?

"Chuck?" she called to him, and his face turned to hers from across the room. His eyes sparkled and his lips spread in a wide, brimming smile. She had to fight to keep her butterflies at bay. Her head inclined in the direction of the hallway and his eyes darkened. She swallowed hard.

_This was going to be harder than she thought._

"Don't you think we should wait till afterwards, Waldorf?" he whispered hot in her ear once they were out of sight in the hallway.

"Chuck—"

"Oh, playing hard to get, are we?" he moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Chuck," she demanded, almost stomping her foot. All she could manage though was the clenching of her hand on the fabric of his shirt, and it made his smirk deepen – the smirk that had implanted itself on his face the moment her needy desirous eyes called him into the hallway.

"Feisty," he snickered against her, pushing her weak knees against the wall.

"Chuck!" she said sharply, thanking the loud chatty people for being so oblivious to her shrieks.

Chuck stepped away from her and his eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what her true motive had been. They were in the midst of their pre-Christmas Christmas party and he figured there was only reason she would have drawn him away. Much to his disgruntlement, however, it did not appear to be the case.

"You tricked me," he stated, and as much as she wanted to deny it, it was nothing but the truth.

"What happened last night, Chuck?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Can we not do this here?" he asked, rummaging his eyes around the lines on the floor.

She pursed her lips.

"I mean," his eyes lifted to hers," we've got a whole room full of people waiting for us, and—"

"They'll wait, Chuck," she said calmly.

He blinked, searching for a way out and finding nothing. He saw the worry and concern for him written all over her face. He knew blocking her out again, and especially so soon, wouldn't have been a good idea, but the possibility of his mother still being alive threatened his very existence. He had to find some way to fight what was clearly a scam. Or, if it was true, he didn't know how he'd deal with it. Being with Blair was what brought him peace, but he should have known she would pick up on something being wrong, even if he wasn't throwing stress daggers at her this time around. He nodded, and felt as the flurry of Blair Waldorf moved past him and informed the guests that there had been some sort of malfunction in the kitchen and it would be another hour before they would all sit down to eat.

He guessed she was hoping everything would be cleared up by then. He didn't know when that point came if he would have any appetite left to eat with. Regardless Blair had been right. The people thought nothing of the delay and just turned back to talk to one another. He hardly noticed when her soft, warm hand encircled around one of his and pulled him up the stairwell.

Her warmth left him when she turned to close the door behind him and when she turned back around she saw him holding a small golden locket necklace from his right hand. In hung and swayed from his fingers and he looked straight at her the whole time.

"I think…"

Blair swallowed hard, her eyes watering. It was just like at the hospital when he couldn't say that his father had died – he couldn't form the words. But this time she didn't even know what he was referring to. She took a step closer to him, hoping he would elaborate in some way, even if it was only to move from beside the dresser to on her bed.

His eyes flashed to the necklace that had finally come to a halt and he handed it to Blair, walking over to the bed.

"Look inside," he said, and hesitantly she did. Her head jerked back a little when a faded picture of Bart Bass shone back at her.

"It's—"

"My father. Yes, I know," he sighed. She turned and walked to him on the bed, taking her spot beside him.

"What happened last night, Chuck?"

He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. "I went to the cemetery to lie flowers on my father's grave. I took yellow roses. They were my mother's favorite," he swallowed hard and cleared his throat. Taking a pause, he opened his eyes and stared across the floor into some sort of imaginative wonderment. "There was a woman there. I thought it was Lily, but when I called out to her. She—she didn't look like Lily. She didn't look like any woman I've ever seen before, except…" he trailed off and Blair's eyes went wide.

_It couldn't be._

"The woman ran off before I could get to her. She had been crying when I first saw her, over my father's grave. She left behind a bouquet of yellow roses, and this necklace."

Blair looked back to the small locket and discovered the 'E' on its worn encasing.

"Evelyn," she breathed.

He nodded weakly, subtly.

"Is this some sick kind of joke?" he turned to her, his weak eyes meeting her tear-filled ones. Now she understood why it had been so hard for him to open up. _Again_.

"Chuck…"

He turned his head back down to his hands, felt the warmth spreading from Blair's grip on his arm, didn't know where he'd be without her and why he hadn't told her sooner.

"I didn't…mean…to hide it from you, Blair. What you did for me yesterday was…" he turned back to look at her, and saw as she nodded, allowing him only a small smile so he wouldn't have to fill in the blanks.

She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his breath on her face and his lips pressed to her forehead as his hands encircled around her waist as well.

"I'm sorry I didn't come home last night."

She blinked, her mind suddenly falling back to her worry from what had kept him at the cemetery so long.

"I went drinking for awhile, and then I crashed at The Empire."

She licked her lips and lifted her head to his. "We'll figure this out," she said, her eyes pinned to his. The questions spinning through her mind would only upset him more. She knew as much as he did now. The woman had died giving birth to him. The more fictional story had been her death in a plane crash when he was six. But the thought that she had actually lived was another matter entirely. Chuck had thought that part of his father's harsh demeanor had come from the loss of his wife, of his one true love. But if she never died…

Those topics didn't need to be approached.

"Hey," she said, her soft, loving hand tracing the curves of his face when his uneasy breaths laid on thick. "I love you."

He smiled and pressed another kiss to her forehead.

"I love you too."

* * *

A couple weeks later on Christmas Eve, Chuck and Blair sat in a horse-drawn sleigh riding around Central Park. The party, and several parties following, had been a success. Their guests from the first party had hardly noticed their departure, and Blair thanked Dorota who had brought out the main course when it was originally going to be served. People hardly noticed the host and hostess' mysterious disappearance. Safe to say, Chuck and Blair hadn't wanted puffy, tear-streaked faces greeting and bidding farewell to their guests, so the dependable maid stepped in again.

Now things were well, and even if there was a slight uneasiness whenever topics were discussed that could be connected to Chuck's mother or biological family. Blair had told him it would be best if they waited till after the holidays, so they could enjoy themselves without the drama of his possibly alive or deceased mother. They wouldn't tell anybody else till then either, if that was even the right time. Something like this they would not allow to be mere gossip spreading amongst the social circles.

"You look beautiful," he said, in awe of her as he helped her down and off the sleigh.

"Why, thank-you, Chuck," she smirked, "You don't look so bad yourself." Her eyes glittered at him and as he nodded briefly for the sleigh-driver to keep his spot, his arm slipped around her waist. She pulled herself closer to him as they walked. "I'm glad I get Christmas with you this year," she turned her head up and smiled at him. He looked at her and shared a similar gaze.

"There better be mistletoe involved, or I'm out," he said, and she giggled, punching his stomach softly with her gloved hand. His smile spread wider and he stopped her right then and there to kiss her in a flurried passion of lips, tongue, and teeth crashing and colliding against each other. She had to catch her breath afterwards, and he loved how her face flushed furiously because of it.

"There'll be mistletoe," she managed.

He smirked and began to walk with her again. Very slowly the snow began to fall, creeping up on them as if by a carefully calculated and planned surprise. _That was what love was supposed to be_, Chuck thought. It was only those that love crept upon that were so mindblowingly caught up in its uncontrollable bliss and complications.

Blair gasped. "Oh, look! Snow!"

* * *

A/N: What _was_ this?! *confused at self* lol. Well, I figured the issue about Chuck thinking he might have stumbled upon his biological mother could not be avoided, and so it is not as fluffy as my two prior holiday fics. Forgive me? I think also that I'm going to have this be a two-part, and include the _New Year's_ holiday oneshot as a sequel to this one. Heh. I want to use what happened in this one for inspiration in the next one anyways. ;p Well, I hope you loved it! Please review, and Merry (early) Christmas! =D


	2. Death Grip

A/N: Well, I'm supposed to be on my way home from school last night, but sadly I am now stuck here for three more hours at least, for lack of transportation. Therefore, I figured I'd just write up the second part (a.k.a. _New Year's_ part) of this story, since I got such a good response from the first part. ;) Thanks for all the reviews. Keep 'em coming! ;D

* * *

They made it through the Christmas holiday without much stress, and for that Blair was grateful. She couldn't help fearing what would happen next though, and it made her worry like none other. She didn't even think any sexual pleasures she'd offer would be pleasing enough for her Chuck this New Year's. Not only did he have the mystery of his mother's life-or-death state on his mind, but also the reminder of his girlfriend having slept with his uncle the year before on that exact day.

She figured it wouldn't be a ton less easy to forget the day it had happened if it hadn't been on a holiday, but with everybody celebrating around them Blair could tell he was just barely holding it together. Everything had just been too much. She betted anything he'd rather he was just reliving the holidays with his stone-cold father and heartless womanizing ways than the torture he must be living through.

"Hey," she rubbed her hand soothingly along his limp arm. "Are you okay?" she asked with concerned eyes. He turned to her and plastered a large, fake smile across his lips. It broke her heart.

"Of course," he said, lifting her other hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to it. "I'm with you, aren't I?" his eyes twinkled at her, and he moved his hand to wrap around her waist. She sighed and turned her head into him.

_When did everything get so hard?_

They were sitting in a horse sleigh just like they had been on Christmas Eve, but this particular Eve wasn't nearly as magical. Blair knew a moment had hardly passed when he wasn't thinking about the situation with his 'deceased' mother, and now he had the burden of _her_ treacherous act the year before. She wondered if even a kiss at midnight would be worth it. She wondered if she should just abandon him to Nate or Eric and just settle into her own bedroom for the festivities. Neither of them sparked a frustrating mystery or haunted an aching memory.

But she knew he would protest and would want him with her, because he loved her regardless and they had moved past all that. _So, why did she feel so guilty?_

"When are we meeting up with Serena and Nate tonight?" he asked nonchalantly. Blair blinked, focusing on the question as if it the answer was the most difficult one to figure out.

"Seven," she said clearly, after a moment. He turned to her.

"Seven?"

"Seven," she repeated.

"Hmm," he paused. "Why seven?" he asked, confused. She shrugged.

"I don't know. We're probably going out to eat or something before we go to the party."

"I see," he tightened his grip around her, his hand shifting from her waist to across her shoulders. The attachment was less intimate and Blair felt tears stinging her eyes. His small talk, his casual yet indifferent tone of speech was killing her and everything about the situation made her want to break down and cry and scream at him at how responsible she felt for everything he must be feeling. He wouldn't shut her out more, because he had grown up so much from the year before, but he would definitely try to be more subtle about how he was feeling. Because he loved her and didn't want to cause her pain, he would do it. And because she loved him and didn't want his confused, frustrated emotions to get all bottled up inside of him, she would keep her mouth shut.

So, the small talk continued.

"Yeah, I think it's a good thing," she said. "We've hardly seen Nate and Serena since the accident anyways."

Chuck nodded, appearing to agree with her. "She's spending a lot of time with Nate, hasn't she?"

The brunette cocked her head to the side and allowed a small smile to slip through. "Yes, she has." She smirked, and when she turned to Chuck a few moments later, she could tell he was wearing the same expression. It eased her jitters for awhile and she could feel him relax beneath her when her head fell to his shoulder again and her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket.

* * *

"Blair, we're going to be late!" he called to her, glancing at his watch in denial that they actually had an hour till they really had to leave. He wanted some more alone time with her. This time he would actually focus on who they were now, not what had happened a year ago, and certainly not the issues surrounding his mother. He knew his silence must've been making her feel guilty. He hated that, and he figured they needed to talk about everything that was running through their minds, but he didn't want to cause an explosion.

"I'm coming!" she said, parting the door of her bathroom just a little more so her voice would carry. She turned back to the mirror though, adjusting her curls and perfecting her ruby red lip gloss by way of rubbing her bow-shaped lips together. _She looked very classy_, she thought, with her slim black dress and Chuck's favorite lingerie hidden underneath. She always made it especially worth his while on the holidays, even if part of her feared he wouldn't want it that night. She didn't want him thinking that…

_Jack._

Her eyes closed, cringing at the thought. She wanted to erase every memory she ever thought of the man, couldn't believe she had actually called him to assist Chuck earlier in the year. _What had she been thinking?_

"Blair," he called out again, more weary this time.

"It's Nate & Serena," she called back, scoffing. "It's not like they'll ditch us for _our_ party."

Chuck rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall, sliding his hands into his pockets. He wasn't mad at Blair for sleeping with Jack the year before. It just hurt because whenever he closed his eyes he could see them. He wondered if this was just like some weeks earlier when opening up to Blair had made him feel better. He hoped it was. He didn't need all this emotional drama to pile on again.

"Ready," she chirped, gliding down the staircase.

Chuck's eyes flicked up to her form and his lips parted in awe. She was always so beautiful. "You look…" he scanned her figure taking her hands in his own, "amazing," he whispered huskily against her mouth before kissing those tantalizing sweet red lips of hers.

"Mmm," she moaned, her fingers snatching hold of his jacket collar. "Happy New Year's," she murmured against him.

"Ah-ah-ah," he shook his finger at her, "Not yet. You must wait till midnight," he kissed her nose, and then pulled her to the elevator. She smirked and settled into the light atmosphere.

"If you insist, Bass."

They spent the rest of the evening without a care in the world until the final countdown came. They were all watching the ball drop from a rooftop just beyond Times Square, and it was all so very thrilling. Neither of them had thought about what treacherous act had taken place exactly then the year before. The mystery surrounding the late Mrs. Bass wasn't even a tucked away box in their names. Both were just…gone, and it was nice to feel the genuine sweetness again, to not feel like they were hiding something simply for their love of each other.

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…"

_**Ring!**_

__"Six…five…four…"

_**Ring!**_

__"Three…….Two……"

_**Ring!**_

__Chuck huffed, annoyed but laughing at the consistent ringing of his phone. He released one of his arms from around Blair's waist and allowed her to still lean her body against him while he fished the phone out of his pocket.

"Hey, this is Chuck!" The smile that spread wide across his face fell the instant he heard the voice on the other end. In his giddy spirit, he had not even thought to check who was calling.

"One!!" Everyone around them cheered, the couples turning to each other and kissing the welcome of the New Year.

Blair spun around towards Chuck, and noticed as the arm that had been holding her fell to his side. Her eyebrows furrowed instantly and a panicking fear engulfed her.

"Chuck," she breathed. She couldn't move much closer to him and she was afraid to really touch him either. The expression on his face was like death, and instantly she knew who it had been. "Chuck?" she repeated, starting to shake. Now she attempted to hold his face in her hand, relieved when he did not push away from her. "What did he say?" her voice lowered.

Chuck swallowed hard, his head spinning. He could not even form the words and so just pulled Blair closer to him and kissed her hard on the mouth. He could feel the tears spilling out of her eyes and knew she was fighting the pain just as much as he was. But he couldn't repeat what his uncle had said. It had summed up all his fears into one, and if Blair had not been there in that moment, he feared he would lose control again.

Just like the year before.

"Chuck—" Blair broke away, needing to know what had happened, but willing not to push it if he couldn't make himself speak.

"Now," Chuck demanded. "I need you now," he almost whimpered, and she could feel his member threatening to break loose against her. She nodded her head against his, not even resisting when his teeth began to nibble along her neck and attack her lower lip. She made no excuse for why they were leaving so early before the cheers of the New Year had come. She knew Chuck needed her in that moment, to erase some horrible thing she was sure would come whenever he was ready. He had only hidden one thing from her since their relationship started, and that had been solved within a day or two. They would get through this, together. Just like she said.

He rubbed hard against her through their clothing in the elevator and she made to give him as much access to her as she could while they were still in the building. When they reached his limo, he almost literally ripped the clothes off of her and within moments was pounding into her for what felt like hours on end. She felt a wetness drip onto her face in the midst of it, and even if he denied it later, she knew it had been tears pouring from his eyes – not sweat beads formed during the midst of their rough activities.

_But what had Jack said?_

Chuck pounded harder, trying to block out his uncle's words. It was _him_ and Blair this time. No one else. _Nothing_ was going to stop that, or _change_ that, and he _would_ find out about his mother. He would make _sure_ of it.

_"Nephew! Happy New Year's! Is Blair fucking you as well I did her last year?"_

_ His breath caught in his throat._

_ "J—"_

_ He couldn't speak, not even a dagger of insult._

_ "Well, no matter, I can see you can't properly form a response," he chuckled, "Have you seen your mother yet?"_

_**Dial tone.**_

_ "Chuck…?"_

* * *

A/N: Oh, I'm so mean, I know, to end this story right here. But I said it was only going to be for over Christmas and New Year's and I didn't want to attempt something that the show might cover. In the promo, Chuck shows Blair the necklace and is like "I have to know" (I think those are his exact words), and so I was trying to sort of create that need even more so from the last part of this chapter. Heh. I hope you liked it! Please review! ;p And uh…happy holidays! lol


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